Who is running for Bolingbrook Trustee?

The updated list of who is running for trustee is not in yet.  We will report on who picked up the packet vs. who submitted a packet shortly.
Thanks for your patience!

Who is running for School Board in Valley View 365 U?

With four positions opening in April on the school board, we were asked about who was running for the election.  Petitions are due this week and we are posting a list of those that have picked up packets.

The Patch has reported that Mike Evans is not running, however, he did pick up a packet.  He could have informed the reporters he was not running to deter people from objecting to his petitions.  Since he picked up a packet recently, we feel he might still be running.  Stay tuned for more details.  We will report a list of who picked up the packets, vs. turned it in after next week!

Name:                                     Location:

1)      Tammaro Warren                    Romeoville

2)      Julie Zipperich                         Romeoville

3)      Kenneth Williams                   Bolingbrook

4)      Robert Leach                          Romeoville

5)      Steve Quigley                         Bolingbrook

6)      Richard “Rick” Gougis, III    Romeoville

7)      Leonel “Leo” Venegas            Romeoville

8)      John Jurca                               Lemont

9)      April Gavin                             Bolingbrook

1    Kenneth Harris                        Bolingbrook

11 Deborah Hammond-Watts      Bolingbrook

1   Sandra Henry                          Bolingbrook

      Phillip A. Wilson                     Bolingbrook

      Claudia Simmons                    Bolingbrook

      Michael A. Evans                    Bolingbrook

      Chrystal Hansen                      Bolingbrook

      Daisy L. Clair                          Bolingbrook

1    Cindy Easter                           Romeoville

      Gabriel Abogado                    Bolingbrook

This list was supplied to us by Bonnie Alicea. 

Anger in the community = message to elected

First, the residents found out what local officials were up to.  Second, they got angry.  Angry enough to go to the Village and School District to pick up packets to run.

For the first time ever, record numbers are running for office, which is a clear sign that people are unhappy with the current elected officials, their behaviors, morals, and spending habits.

The Valley View School District 365-U has issued 19 packets for 4 open seats in the April election.

The Village of Bolingbrook has issues over a dozen packets for 3 open seats in the April election.

For the last 20 years, they have NEVER had this type of turnout.

I hope this sends a clear message to the current elected officials.  That message is "we are ANGRY and UPSET at what you have done.  So much so, that over 30 residents are spending money, time, and energy to run for office."

Holidays and Crime

With the holidays upon us, many people without work will do things they normally would not do.  They get desperate and will rob or break in homes.  We encourage all Bolingbrook residents to properly lock up their homes and vehicles. 

Tips to keeping safe:
1.  When using an ATM, take a look around you for people watching.
2.  When spending money in a store, do not show your "wad" of money in public.
3.  When walking to your car, ensure nobody is following too closely.
4.  When pulling up to your home, make sure that you open the garage door when it is in close view.
5.  When shoveling, do not leave the garage door open and go inside to warm up.
6.  Double check your garage is closed when leaving for work.
7.  Shred any mail that has personal information about accounts listed on them.

How Many Trustees are Running?

We are two weeks out to a final count of trustees running for office.  A dozen potential candidates picked up packets in the Village.  However, picking up a packet does not mean someone will run.  There are many reasons to pick up a packet.  You could pick it up for a friend, you could pick it up for reference purposes, and you could pick it up for yourself!  These are just a few reasons to pick up a packet.  Furthermore, running implies that each candidate gathered signatures and turned them in by the deadline.

This years run for Trustee will be one you won't want to miss.  We have already reported the Bonnie has picked up a packet.  We have reported that Mr. Morales has picked up a packet.  Will County Independent Party has reported that Bob Bowen has picked up a packet.  We know that Cyan is running.  It is the few we have not told you about, that will make this race for three vacancies VERY interesting.  (Could Cedra Crenshaw possibly be running?)

We can only imagine what this race will be like with the current trustees battling Bonnie and Bob, as last years race was riddled with controversy and excitement.  We already know it is Bonnie and Bob against the trustees for passing expenditures and increasing taxes since 2000.  We know that their largest points will be that the current trustees are rubber stamped and have put Bolingbrook in almost $400 mil in debt and abate the bonds annually so that the future residents will suffer when they come due.  They will be ruthless in informing the residents about the debt in Bolingbrook. 

Topping this is the fact that Leroy Brown, running again this year, has added fuel to the fire with booting Bonnie off the ballot last year and booting the referendum off the ballot.  He has made many enemies in this Village because of it. Thousands of residents wanted Bonnie on the ballot and thousands more wanted trustee by district.  They will all be following this race...

Then you have an unknown named Cygan who has done nothing in the village.  His first act?  Step out and take a swipe at Bonnie for fighting for transparency and bond debt.  As classy as Bonnie is about keeping the high ground, what will she do when this guy uses every tactic in the book to slander her, defame her, or lie about her?  Can she still hold the high ground against a nasty man like this?  That would be a true test of her courage.

The kick off of this election season has seen Bonnie's lead supporter's house go up in flames and smoke a few days ago.  One person that picked up their packet, already dropped the race after speaking with Mr. Claar.  We wonder what was said...

We wonder which candidate will mention the fact that Morales and Brown have other jobs that conflict with Village board serving.  We wonder who will mention their "yes" votes to everything that has debted this community.  We also want to know who is going to mention the fact that the people that put this debt in place called themselves Republicans, while spending like Democrats...

Let's see how dirty and ugly this election season will get.  Who will be called a "murderer"?  Who will tamper with election boxes this year?  Which election judges will not follow the rules on election day?  Who will threaten which candidates?  Who will Roger support, and will this support actually cost them the positions? (He is running a low victory path lately).

So who do you believe in during this race?  Who has the answers?  Who can and will fix Bolingbrook?  The list will be posted in two weeks...  On your marks, get set, GO!

Stay tuned for more coming January 1st!

Smith's home

http://triblocal.com/bolingbrook/2010/12/04/firefighters-investigate-cause-of-friday-house-fire/

For more info, please click on Triblocal link above. 

Bolingbrook Elections off to a Sour Start

George Smith

Have you ever seen this man on the Village Board Meeting video's, asking people to come out and vote?  Have you heard him encourage the current administration to do the right thing for the people?  If so, this story might just shock you...

Late last night, while George Smith was out enjoying the evening, a fire started in his bedroom and his house was severely damaged. 

A strong advocate for Bonnie Alicea who ran for Mayor in April 2009, he has spent the last month assisting in collection of signatures for her new campaign.  Last year he contributed over $10,000 to her campaign.  He did this because he believes in a better Bolingbrook. 

He started an initiative to place a referendum question on the ballot last year for residents to vote on Trustee by districts instead of Trustees at large.  He did this because the current Trustees were rubber stamped "yes" people and have put Bolingbrook in almost $400 Million in debt.  His referendum was booted off the ballot for a technicality, and the opposing attorney was the same one that booted Bonnie off the ballot in her run for Mayor (no coincidence there).  Many local communities just passed this same referendum, including Naperville and Downers Grove.  Obviously he is a resident that has caused some corrupt local politicians to lose sleep. 

George Smith served our country for over 30 years in the Marines, while maintaining a Bolingbrook home for over 30 years.  He was one of the highest ranking marine officials and is highly respected by many governmental bodies.  He has dedicated his retirement to fighting in support of those local residents whose constitutional rights have been stripped away, including Bonnie's.  He believes that not all battles or wars are oversees, but major battles to maintain our liberties happen right here at home.

This year he collected over 400 signatures for Bonnie Alicea who is running for Trustee in April 2011.  If you have been to the post office recently, you might have just shaken his hand.  Recently, and unknown to many, he turned over the signatures to the attorneys for review and removed them from his home to a safe location.  These signatures are due next week to place Bonnie on the ballot this year.  (Recall that last year Bonnie was booted off the ballot the by kangaroo court created and headed by Roger Claar, the very person she was running against.)

Is it a coincidence that his house went up in flames one week before he was to turn in those signatures that would place Bonnie on the ballot?  Was someone looking to get those signatures so that they could not be turned in?  Is someone conspiring to keep Bonnie from getting in office?  Or could it have been a fluke?  We do not know...  investigations are pending.  Either way, it is a bummer that someone so dedicated to our country, and our cause in Bolingbrook, has suffered this atrocity.

We ask that our readers to send in support letters for him.  We will send these directly to him.  In the meanwhile, we want to thank the Bolingbrook Police for locating him so quickly last night to inform him that his house was on fire and to ensure that nobody else was in the home.  We want to thank the Firefighters that put out the fire.  We never want to forget the people that help save lives, and we are lucky Mr. Smith is alive and well.

When we asked if he would like a fundraiser or any help, he asked that all donations be sent to the Will County Independent Party, as they are assisting him during this time of grief.

Weekly Response from Bonnie

from Bonnie

Question from Resident:  What are you going to do differently this year to get on the ballot?

Response:
 
I have spent countless hours and weeks preparing my packet for nomination for Trustee in the Village of Bolingbrook.  Last week my election attorney reviewed all my signatures and we went through the scratch process, which is removing invalid names, illegible names and addresses, or non-registered voters.  We spent time checking each heading of each sheet and proper notarizing of all signatures.  We did a thorough job on each signature sheets, leaving nothing to objections.

Prior to this, my team and I spent countless hours gathering many signatures.  The minimum this year was just shy of 300 needed and the max was just shy of 500.    We are submitting the maximum number of valid signatures. 

I have shaken thousands of hands over the past few weeks and listened to thousands of stories from residents.  The most common theme is the demand for change.  Taxes are a hot issue, bonds are on the front of residents minds, and the cut in services is upsetting many people. 

I look forward to becoming a public servant, and assisting with the change that has been long awaited in Bolingbrook.  I encourage the residents to follow the objection process to determine if change is possible in Bolingbrook, or if corruption is stopping the need for change. 

Thank you for all of the residents that signed my petitions, stopped to ask questions, or just to talk.  There are wonderful people that live in Bolingbrook and I am proud to call myself a 30 year resident!

Village takes a 1% cut in raise

The Village voted for the first time to pass a new ordinance to reduce their pay increase by 1%.  While it would seem noble to do so for the first time ever, we are still skeptical. 

The current elected officials have done so much, to take money from the taxpayers to benefit their own purposes, that 1% is not nearly enough to pay back the damages. 

Secondly, this might be the first time that Roger's people will not win the elections, with three seats under fire in April.  So are they really cutting their own wages or the wages of the next elected?  Will Roger really be retiring in a few months, so this will only affect the next wave of elected officials?

It is too early to tell if they are doing something good, or if they are sticking it to the next elected.

Who is raising taxes for next year?

While the village waits for the assessment of value of homes, the other taxing bodies are moving forward increasing taxing amounts.  The school district and library are both increasing amounts to tax payers. 

The library is going to "abate" bond payments in order to keep the amounts lowered.

Du Page Township is withholding the annual budgets in order for the taxpayers to NOT know what they are planning on doing all year.

We will report when we know... as always....